Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Gary P. P. Wormser, Alan G. G. Barbour
Summary: There is no published data on the efficacy of vancomycin in patients with Lyme disease, and there are no convincing theoretical advantages of vancomycin compared to the currently used orally administered antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, vancomycin may cause serious adverse effects and requires the placement of an intravenous catheter. Therefore, vancomycin is not a recommended option for the treatment of patients with early Lyme disease or any other manifestation of Lyme disease.
WIENER KLINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Serhii Filatov, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Brittany A. Armstrong, Alexander R. Kneubehl, Nathan C. Nieto, Adalberto A. Perez de Leon, Job E. Lopez
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
Correction
Microbiology
Jenna R. Gettings, Job E. Lopez, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Brittany A. Armstrong, Alec T. Thompson, Michael J. Yabsley
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Immunology
Brittany A. Armstrong, Alexander R. Kneubehl, Robert D. Mitchell, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Pete D. Teel, Adalberto A. Perez de Leon, Job E. Lopez
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aparna Krishnavajhala, Brittany A. Armstrong, Job E. Lopez
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ana Milovic, Khalil Bassam, Hanjuan Shao, Ioulia Chatzistamou, Danielle M. Tufts, Maria Diuk-Wasser, Alan G. Barbour
Article
Entomology
Alan G. Barbour, Radhey S. Gupta
Summary: The family Borreliaceae includes two genera, Borrelia and Borreliella, differentiated by their disease associations and biological features in the tick vector. The division of genera is supported by phylogenomic evidence and specific molecular markers. The ancestral origin of the family may be as symbionts of ticks and other arachnids, as suggested by related microorganisms in the gut microbiota of other arachnids.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Gabriela Balderrama-Gutierrez, Ana Milovic, Vanessa J. Cook, M. Nurul Islam, Youwen Zhang, Hippokratis Kiaris, John T. Belisle, Ali Mortazavi, Alan G. Barbour
Summary: The study revealed significant differences in responses to infection between white-footed deermice and mice, suggesting that deermice possess adaptive traits to moderate inflammation and better balance infection resistance and tolerance. These findings have implications for studying infection tolerance in other important reservoir species.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sergio E. Bermudez, Brittany A. Armstrong, Lillian Dominguez, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Alexander R. Kneubehl, Sarah M. Gunter, Adam Replogle, Jeannine M. Petersen, Job E. Lopez
Summary: Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) spirochetes may be an overlooked cause of disease in Latin America, with Ornithodoros puertoricensis ticks collected from human dwellings in Panama found to be infected with the spirochetes. Laboratory isolation and genetic characterization of a species of TBRF spirochete from Panama suggest further investigation is needed to assess the threat to human health.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Michael W. Curtis, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Alexander R. Kneubehl, Monica E. Embers, Jenna R. Gettings, Michael J. Yabsley, Job E. Lopez
Summary: Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is a globally distributed disease that is often misdiagnosed as Lyme disease due to limited diagnostic tests. This study identified a potential diagnostic antigen, BipA, that can differentiate between infections caused by different Borrelia species.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Clay D. Jackson-Litteken, Michael W. Curtis, Brittany A. Armstrong, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Serhii Filatov, Jon S. Blevins, Job E. Lopez
Summary: Pathogenic species of Borrelia are the cause of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF). The molecular mechanisms behind spirochete colonization of ticks and their transmission to vertebrate hosts are still unclear. This study investigated the role of arthropod associated lipoprotein (Alp) in tick colonization and transmission, finding that it is dispensable for these processes in B. turicatae.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Serhii Filatov, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Job E. Lopez
Summary: In this study, we observed autogenous reproduction of Ornithodoros turicata ticks and found that they can transmit Borrelia turicatae to their offspring. These findings are significant for understanding the reproductive biology of O. turicata and the interactions between spirochetes and ticks.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Edwin Vazquez-Guerrero, Jose Luis Gonzalez-Quiroz, Maria Lilia Dominguez-Lopez, Alexander R. R. Kneubehl, Aparna Krishnavajhala, Michael W. W. Curtis, Alejandro Ponce-Mendoza, Paulina Estrada-de los Santos, Job E. E. Lopez, J. Antonio Ibarra
Summary: Soft ticks from Ornithodoros genus were assessed for their presence in populated areas in Mexico. No RF spirochetes were detected, highlighting the need to update the distribution and determine the circulation of RF borreliosis in multiple regions of Mexico.
EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Sebastian Munoz-Leal, Jose M. Venzal, Alexander R. Kneubehl, Job E. Lopez, Thiago F. Martins, Marcelo B. Labruna
Summary: A new species of soft ticks of the Pavlovskyella subgenus was described in central Chile based on morphological and mitogenomic evidence. This new species differs from other South American soft ticks in several characteristics, including the presence of 13 pairs of dorsolateral setae, a hexagonal dorsal plate, and a blunt hypostome with denticles. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the placement of this new species in a monophyletic clade with other South American species in the subgenus.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Alan G. Barbour, Jonathan V. Duong, Anthony D. Long
Summary: The deermice Peromyscus leucopus and P. maniculatus are important reservoirs for zoonotic agents in North America and demonstrate the phenomenon of infection tolerance. In this study, the absence of expression of Fc?RI in P. leucopus was confirmed in an experimental infection with Borreliella burgdorferi. The null phenotype is due to the inactivation of the Fcgr1 gene in both species, resulting in comparatively less inflammation during infection.